"Dong Fuxiang's surrender shows that we are righteous teachers and what the people want. The people of the three Jin Dynasties hope that peace will come soon. It also allows us to free our hands to deal with those stubborn rebels. We must be tolerant to the new surrenderers and don't always be
He exposes people's wounds with a condescending air, as if he is his master and others are just lap dogs kneeling down to beg for mercy."
Zuo Zongtang paused and looked around at the generals. Seeing that no one dared to question his decision, he continued: "Next, our goal is to capture Dong Zhiyuan, which is Tongling Prefecture in the north and Shaanxi in the south.
The key to the two provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. Capture Dong Zhiyuan, insert the sharp knife into the chest of Jinjibao, and tear Ma Hualong to pieces." Zuo Zongtang sat at the main seat with a serious expression and did not say much.
After the opening remarks, a counselor stood up, holding a wooden stick, pointing to the topographic map placed on the long table, and said clearly: "Dong Zhiyuan is on the west bank of the Malian River in Ningzhou, Gansu Province, about 150 miles in length and about 150 miles in width.
Two hundred and eighty miles away. The natural conditions here are superior,
The land is flat and fertile, both arable and grazing. There have been many forts since ancient times. Now, after many years of management by the rebels, they are like ant nests, standing densely on the loess slopes. These are hard-to-gnaw bones. Ma Zhenghe
, the lair of Bai Yanhu, Yu Yanlu and other bandit leaders.
Every time the rebels went out for food and attacked surrounding towns, they always used Dong Zhiyuan as their base. They captured Qingyang, Ningzhou, Zhenyuan, Pingliang and other cities and more than 500 forts, and entered Shaanxi from time to time. The war was unfavorable and
Hide back to Dong Zhiyuan
, although we did not retreat completely, our army could not injure the enemy's bones and muscles. Now that the enemy is in a disadvantageous situation in the war, he is hiding in Dong Zhiyuan to lick his wounds. This time we will destroy the enemy's lair and not give them a chance to survive.
The rebels settled in a place based on the original relationship between villages or villages. A large residential area was called a battalion. A battalion was both a production unit and a combat organization. The number of people in each battalion ranged from tens of thousands to thousands.
The leaders of the battalion were mainly imams and upper-class Hui people, as well as some rebellious farmers and craftsmen. The rebels originally had 18 battalions, which were related to the Jinjibao Returned Army and Dong Fuxiang's hungry people's armed forces in northern Shaanxi.
Now Dong Fuxiang has revolted, and our army has inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in Zhengning and Pizhou, resulting in heavy enemy casualties. According to reliable information, Dong Zhiyuan's rebels have reorganized and merged the original 18th Battalion into four major battalions.
The battalion marshals include Ma Zhenghe, Bai Yanhu, Yu Yanlu, Cui Wei, Chen Lin, Yu Deyan, Feng
Jun Fu, Ma Changshun, Yang Wenzhi, Ma Zhenggang, Ma Shengyan, Bi Dacai, Yan Xingchun, Lan Mingtai, Ha Lianjin, Zou Baohe, Zhang Daiyu, Ma Weixiang, etc. In addition, there are rebels led by Sun Yibao and others operating in Guyuan and other places. Prepare for stubborn resistance.
Finally, let me talk about the military deployment of each battalion;;;;;;"
Zuo Zongtang formulated a three-pronged march to Gansu:
Xu Zhanbiao led his troops to march west from Suide, nominally attacking Huamachi, but actually pointing to Jinjibao, which was the northern route;
Li Yaonan and Wu Shimai led their troops from Longzhou and Baoji to Qinzhou, which was the southern route;
Zuo Zongtang and Liu Dian led their troops from Qianzhou to Pizhou, and then to Changwu to Jingzhou, which was the middle route.
Among the three routes, the north route is the key offensive direction, which is to attack Dong Zhiyuan's rebels and open the road to Jinji Fort; the south route is temporarily on the defensive, with the purpose of containing the Hui rebels in Hezhou and Didao and cutting them off from Jinji Fort.
The center road mainly assists the north road and takes care of the south road as a supplement.
The generals in the conference hall took their orders and did not dare to disobey. The tactical deployment was finalized by Zuo Zongtang. This was an unquestionable decision. As for the specific combat plan, it was under the command of frontline commander Xu Zhanbiao. All ministries moved to Dong Zhiyuan to prepare for total annihilation.
Dong Zhiyuan defended the enemy.
Liu Jintang listened quietly, with doubts in his heart. After listening to Zuo Zongtang's military deployment, he spoke first: "Commander, Dong Zhiyuan, although there are many forts and forts, is a hard nut to crack, but the high loess slope there is
It's not dangerously steep. Our army's artillery can drag it up. Although it takes a lot of life to attack the fortress, as long as we clear the outer fortress, the rebels will lose morale. Dong Zhiyuan is not a place that can be defended. If I were to do it, I would never do it.
there
Sitting there waiting for death. Ma Zhenghe, Bai Yanhu, Yu Yanlu and others are all as cunning as foxes. How can they be willing to sit there and die? They may very well take refuge with Ma Hualong in Jinji Fort. If they take advantage of the winter when the ice and snow have not melted, Ma Zhenghe, Bai Yan
Hu, Yu Yanlu and others led Dong Zhiyuan's main force to escape, which may be detrimental to our subsequent operations. The terrain of Jinji Fort can definitely be described as steep, and we must not give Jinji Fort's Ma Hualong a chance to become powerful."
Zuo Zongtang wondered whether Dong Zhiyuan's rebels would flee in the winter? In the ice and snow, they led tens of thousands of rebels and tens of thousands of family members accompanying the army to flee. It was very difficult, the road was difficult to travel, wind and snow blocked the road, and death from freezing was certain.
Tragic, but not impossible?
Other officers were also thinking about this issue. They all agreed with Liu Jintang's idea and proposed to prevent Dong Zhiyuan's rebels from escaping to Jinjibao. Zhang Yao was a little unconvinced and couldn't help but interjected: "Ma Zhenghe, Bai Yanhu, Yu Yanlu and Ma Hualong have enemies, and they are related."
If they are not harmonious, I don’t think he will seek refuge with Ma Hualong. This is unlikely. How can there be any reason to run away before the war starts?"
Zuo Zongtang did not express his position, but asked in a consultative tone: "Can you all tell me your opinions?"
Liu Jintang smiled and said: "Commander Zuo, Xu Zhentai must have internal agents. Whenever the enemy makes any changes, we just need to be more vigilant. Our mobility must be improved so that we can fight tough battles at any time and eliminate the fleeing enemies in one fell swoop. As for the bandit leader,
The relationship between them is not harmonious. This should also be taken into consideration. It is very possible that Ma Zhenghe, Bai Yanhu, Yu Yanlu and others did not flee to Jinjibao, but directly fled to Xinjiang. This is the official opinion. Please ask Zuo Da
You are so handsome and don’t hesitate to teach me.”
Zuo Zongtang pretended to smile mysteriously and said: "Capturing Dong Zhiyuan at the beginning of spring is the established goal, but we must also be prepared to intercept the fleeing enemies at any time. In addition, we must capture Dong Zhiyuan in the shortest possible time. There is Xingzhiyuan there."
Set up farming and stabilize the most ideal base in the rear. If we can capture Dong Zhiyuan before sowing in the spring, we will have enough food to support 30,000 soldiers and horses in the autumn. In the case of Shaanxi-Gansu, it is more difficult to raise troops than to raise food, and it is more difficult to raise food than to raise wages.
Raising funds for transfer
It was difficult to raise food. Shengbao, Duolong'a, Yang Yuebin and others did not realize the characteristics of using troops in the northwest. They blindly increased the number of troops and advanced rapidly. As a result, the rear was unstable, the troops were not paid well, the food transportation was not sustainable, and they suffered repeated defeats. In view of their failure
Lesson, Dong
Zhiyuan will become a farming base for our army, and a farm will be built on the spot in Dong Zhiyuan. The dismissed sergeants will be a civilian camp, and some of the sergeants who are not on the front line will be a military camp. Dong Zhiyuan will be built into a large granary for our army."
This was an important measure taken by Zuo Zongtang to solve the difficulties in the transportation of military supplies, as well as the problems of food and pay, and to stabilize the morale of the military. He learned from the military household system of the Ming Dynasty and solved the logistical supply problems on the spot. Only he had the courage to fight against the rebels.
The outcome is not determined by winning or losing a battle, and the army vows not to return to the court unless the rebellion is eliminated.
This new idea was immediately supported by all the officers, and no one raised any objections. If you don't make some extra money in a war, it will be a waste of time. Not letting the soldiers at the front go hungry is the right way to use the army. Several military attachés with superior authority made it clear.
, immediately wrote a memorial and submitted it to support Zuo Zongtang’s proposal.
When Pingqing Jinggu Taoist Wei Guangtao heard about farming, he immediately said: "Commander Zuo, I think that the Guanlong area in the northwest has little land and is barren, but it has long been a bad habit of growing poppies. Planting poppies and smoking opium are not only
It is the cause of poverty in Gansu Province and the source of the decline and chaos of the northwest folk customs that have changed from toughness to decadence. Therefore, the lower officials thought that poppy cultivation was prohibited and cotton mulberry cultivation was introduced.
When discussing the law governing Guanlong, the prohibition of opium must be the first priority. If you want to prohibit opium, you must first reduce the number of people who smoke in prefectures and counties. If you want to reduce the number of people who smoke, you must first prohibit the cultivation of opium poppy. If you want to prohibit the cultivation of opium poppy, you must first think of something.
can take advantage of it, and then
People know that growing poppies is not very profitable, and if you are greedy, you will gradually become choked. My brother advises planting grass and cotton because it is better than poppies in a year.
If you are not good at it, you will be able to detect it if you are wise.
To put it simply, there are three words: ban, guidance, and advocacy. It means to fully use effective economic means to solve the complex and arduous problem of banning opium poppy cultivation.
Ban means prohibiting the cultivation of opium poppies; advocacy means advocating the cultivation of straw cotton to replace opium poppies; guidance means the guidance, exhortation and persuasion between ban and promotion, that is, an education that takes advantage of the situation and gives benefits to others.
Work.
Only by doing this can we fundamentally block the source of the poison and change the customs. The poison causes the growth of hair, twisting, and return. Xiaguan compiled "Ten Essentials for Growing Cotton" and "The Cotton Book", hoping to provide a good example for Shaanxi Province.
People in Gansu region should do more good deeds."
How can the rebels in troubled times care about farming? Whatever is quick and profitable, they do whatever they want. They make a living by growing poppies in the base areas. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Nian Army, and the Hui Army all sell opium, grow poppies, smuggle and sell drugs to finance
Raise troops. The rebels who stayed in the Dongzhiyuan Reclamation Area still did not engage in production, but specialized in looting and robbery, making Dongzhiyuan a poppy cultivation base.
"Wei Daotai cares about the people of Shaanxi and Gansu. I am very relieved. The appointment of local officials must be very careful. They must not only be capable officials, but also honest officials. Next, Wei Daotai, you will be in trouble." Zuo Zongtang admired Wei Guangtao very much.
For his ability, he mostly relied on Wei Guangtao, a member of the Pingqing Jinggu Taoist movement, in farming.
"This is what a lower official should do, Marshal Zuo, this gift is too expensive and not suitable for you, so let me use it." Wei Guangtao confiscated the tiger skin that Liu Jintang brought. Such a big package,
I saw it as soon as I entered the door. I had already opened the package and saw that it was a tiger skin. Since Zuo Zongtang was as incorruptible as water, he was not polite.
Zuo Zongtang was in a good mood. This time he was trying to save face and said with a smile: "Keep the tiger bone wine and don't allow corruption."
Seeing Wei Guangtao carrying the package and fleeing like a thief, without giving Zuo Zongtang a chance to regret it. A group of officers smiled knowingly, the commander was in a good mood, and with the atmosphere of the New Year, the military meeting ended early.
Some officers like to be clean and take a shower, ready to go to the banquet after taking a shower. Some officers can go without taking a shower for a month, so they don't care about the sour smell on their bodies. They start to take out their pipes, take out the cut tobacco from the bag, and start smoking dry cigarettes. Left
Zongtang also smoked, and everyone in the room was smoking, making the room full of smoke.
Zuo Zongtang's wife Zhou Yiduan opened the door and wanted to say a few words to him. As soon as she smelled the strong smell, she coughed for a while and couldn't open her eyes. She turned around and ran out, saying: "Ji Gao has eaten.
, you are not in good health, you should smoke less, this dry tobacco is also toxic."
"Hey! Madam, it's rare to take a few puffs." Zuo Zongtang raised his left foot, knocked the cigarette rod under the official boots a few times, and then stood up after he was satisfied with the cigarette.
"Mrs. Zhou, who said that dry tobacco is poisonous? Tobacco is obviously a good thing to cure diseases and save lives. We soldiers can't live without it. It is good for the body and refreshing for the mind. You must have it." Guo Baochang couldn't help but play tricks, and was left
Zongtang blew his beard and stared in shock. He immediately imitated Zuo Zongtang and knocked the cigarette stick against the sole of his military boots to put out the cigarette.
A group of military attachés gathered around Zuo Zongtang and had a banquet together. The most uncomfortable thing about coming to the northwest was eating and drinking, and they all complained about the hardships, and their mouths turned into birds.